The Key To A Daughter
by Zucht
Summary: This is a sequel to The Key To Home and The Key To Me.Lois and Clark are reported on to the General


**A/N: **This is a sequel to _The Key To Home_ and The Key To Me

**The Key To A Daughter**

General Sam Lane blew the last puff of smoke from his cigar out in a relaxed manner. Dropping the butt into an ash tray, he nodded to another smoker as he entered his barracks. 'Damned laws,' he thought, 'won't let a man enjoy a good smoke anymore! Undoes all the relaxation a good stogie gives.'

Before he reached his room, his cell phone disturbed him. Grabbing it, he barked, "What is it?!"

"Uh… Sir, you have a visitor at the front gate. Says his name is Chapman."

"Have him escorted to my office. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Yes, Sir!"

--

He sat behind his desk, purposely placed to give him command of the room. The only illumination in his office was an antique brass lamp that he had been converted from gas to electricity. His humidor was to his left, his three phones to his right; nowhere was there a computer, this alone intimidated his subordinates, because he seemed to know everything that they did with computers.

There was a light tap at his door, to which he responded with a low, gruff, "Enter."

The blond haired man limped in, without bothering with propriety. "Hello, Sam." He greeted the General with an extended hand.

"Sit down Chapman. I didn't take that crap from you when you were in the army, what makes you think I will now?"

"Nice to see you too, Sam." He answered, ignoring the Generals tactics. "I have an update on your daughter."

"Which one?"

"Lois. You didn't hire me to watch Lucy." Came the reply, as a thick file folder was dropped in front of the General.

"Quite right. What is your report?"

"She's her father's daughter…"

"I already knew that! What is going on in her life?"

"I liked you better when you could smoke."

"Chapman! Report, Sergeant Major!"

Chapman slumped into a chair and smiled at the gruff old general. "Your daughter has a full life. She seems to work around the clock, but she is effective…"

"I thought she had a partner?"

"She does, but you wouldn't know it the way she drives herself."

"What else do you have?"

"She seems to piss off everyone she meets. And has made enemies of many criminals and politicians…"

"In Metropolis is there a difference?"

"Do you want my report, Sam? Or should I just bill you and make you read the file?"

"Continue, Chapman."

"She does have friends and allies. Older newspaper men love her, she seems to remind them of what the job is all about, and they give her preferential treatment. This pisses off less talented or lazy colleagues."

Sam Lane, smiled with pride. "That's my girl."

"There seem to be only two close friends in her life; her cousin Chloe Sullivan and her partner, Clark Kent." He paused to see how the General reacted.

"Continue."

Mentally shrugging, he went on. "She usually has lunch with Miss Sullivan three times a week – unless a story is breaking. It's not unusual for them to get together on the weekends to shop or have dinner."

"I know about her cousin, continue."

"Her partner is another matter; he has been difficult to track."

"What is the problem?"

"He rarely uses the same route twice. Many times he will leave a building from a different hatch than the one he entered. Following him through the city is impossible when he is alone. This led to some confusion on your daughter's birthday last week. Lois and Clark were seen entering her building after a dinner with Chloe and a few other friends and colleagues, but he never left. However, the next morning she left her building alone and met him, in a taxi, in front of his apartment building.

"He has never been observed shopping or going into a dry cleaner, yet his suits are all clean and well cared for.

"Before he came to the Daily Planet, he spent some time traveling the world after he graduated from Met U's online program; with degrees in journalism and political science. This he did in just two and a half years with a 4.0 GPA.

"He was partnered with your daughter just over two years ago and they have been nothing but spectacular – professionally speaking."

"And personally?"

"He seems unusually devoted to her…"

"How so?"

"She has been seen berating and hitting him. In spite of this, he is constantly placing himself between her and danger…"

"Sounds like why she gets angry with him."

"They argue constantly. Miss Sullivan was overheard mumbling that, 'They would either kill each other or get married.' One of their colleagues, a Mr. James Olsen, has on many occasions said, 'They should just get a room.'

"In spite of her behavior, she claims him as her best friend, and has often set him up on dates. Either she doesn't know his taste in women, or he is… of a different inclination."

"She on the other hand has had a long string of unsuccessful relationships that have her leaving the city. There hasn't been a boyfriend or trip out of Metropolis in the past two months."

"Where does she go?"

"We haven't been able to determine where she goes, if she goes to the same place. The only destination that we have been able to track her to is a coffee shop in Smallville, Kansas. It's a converted movie theater named the Talon."

"Is there anything else?"

"There is a complete report in the file along with photos and press clippings from the three months of my investigation."

"Thank you, Chapman. Send me your itemized bill; I may need your assistance again soon."

"Yes, sir."

--

After Chapman had left, General Sam Lane reached into his humidor and retrieved a cigar. Running it under his nose, he inhaled deeply.

With a sigh, he opened the file and scanned the contents. Ignoring her articles, that he had already read, he concentrated on the personal files. He read and reread the comings and goings of his daughter and young Mr. Kent.

Thinking a moment on the information the report conveyed, he made a decision. With a wry smile he unlocked his desk and pulled open the heavily laden file drawer, placing the new file in with the rest.

Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he scrolled to the number he wanted and pressed enter…

"You're getting sloppy," He growled into the phone, "you need to be seen exiting buildings you enter…"

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**The End**


End file.
